[Leica] Off Topic - Prostate

[afirkin at afirkin.com (Alastair Firkin)]

Don,
I am 52 going on 53 and agonised over having my PSA done. What to do if it 
was up? Its NOT an easy question. Having worked in Medicine for 29 years and 
having come from a family where my father was a medico, the only advice I 
would give you is find someone you trust, and follow their suggestions. I 
would seek opinions from a couple of Urologists who do not have an interest 
in surgery, I would ask the questions you have expressed, I would listen and 
decide  --- do I feel comfortable and confident in the answers, do I 
understand this person, do they understand me. If the answers were yes, I 
would follow them and give my trust to their suggestions. I cannot say it 
enough: you really need to trust anyone who is looking after your health.

I have a very good friend you was recently diagnosed with highly agressive 
prostate cancer. He too is a radiologist, and he too found someone he can 
listen to and is listening to him.

I hope this helps. Good luck and best wishes: one big advantage you have 
over your father is that treatments including surgery have improved greatly 
in recent years. 

Alastair

--- On Thu, 11/6/08, Don Lawrence <DLawrence@fkp.com> wrote:

> From: Don Lawrence <DLawrence@fkp.com>
> Subject: [Leica] Off Topic - Prostate
> To: lug@leica-users.org
> Date: Thursday, November 6, 2008, 9:26 AM
> Having been reading this list for years and being an
> infrequent poster,
> I feel a bit like part of the extended LUG family.
> Therefore, I feel comfortable and hope no minds me asking
> for advice on
> an important topic totally unrelated to photography.
> I was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer.  
> 
> One of the advantages of living in Houston, is that we have
> MD Anderson
> Cancer Center here. Frequently rated number one or two in
> the USA for
> cancer care, they have been a client of mine for years. I
> was able to
> speak to some friends and got an appointment very quickly.
> They are also
> one of only three sites in the USA with a proton radiation
> therapy
> machine, a form of therapy that uses particles rather than
> photons. This
> is a breakthrough, as it can reduce the risk of collateral
> tissue damage
> during the course of therapy.
> 
> I am 53 years old and my father died of prostate cancer
> metastatic
> disease at the age of 70.
> Since there a probably many of you here near my age or
> above, I thought
> some of you might have been through this experience.
> Everyone in my family has advised me, and I have had first
> and second
> professional opinions on all the various treatment options.
> Of course since day one, I have scoured the internet to
> learn more.
> Finding that people are right when they say the internet
> can be a
> torrential downpour of information, mostly unfiltered and
> frequently
> overwhelming. 
> Given all this, I feel fairly well versed in all of my
> options.
> 
> I am almost convinced to have a radical prostatectomy using
> the DaVinici
> robot, but if any of you have been through this mess of
> treatment
> options you know that each medical professional who
> consults with you is
> totally convinced that their specialty offers a great
> chance of a total
> cure.
> Radiation oncologists are convincingly describing a 90%
> chance of no
> cancer in 5 years and surgeons give about the same odds.
> It boggles the mind and makes it hard to come to a
> decision.
> 
> It is interesting to see how some people react when they
> learn you have
> cancer. A few are motherly and are willing to consult and
> share
> thoughts. But mostly people are strangely silent, as if the
> subject is
> taboo and too personal to speak about. Weird!
> 
> So if any of you photographers here have been down this
> road, I would
> appreciate any advice or thoughts you are willing to share.
> Contact me by private email.
> 
> Thanks
> Don Lawrence
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more
> information


      

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